South Korea to host third Summit for Democracy

Diplomacy

Published: 29 Mar. 2023, 19:20

South Korea to host third Summit for Democracy

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at a plenary session as a co-host of U.S President Joe Biden's second Summit for Democracy from the Blue House in central Seoul Wednesday. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden announced that South Korea will host a future third Summit for Democracy in a joint statement Wednesday, highlighting the two countries' shared bonds and values and Seoul's growing global leadership.

The two leaders issued the statement just ahead of Biden's second Summit for Democracy, which Yoon co-hosted Wednesday.

"The United States and the Republic of Korea share deep bonds, rooted in our common democratic values and respect for human rights, and we are committed to further strengthening our robust political, economic, security and people-to-people ties," the statement read.

"And today, we are announcing that the Republic of Korea will host a future, third Summit." A date has yet to be set.

The two leaders further noted that Korea's "democratic institutions are a beacon of strength in the Indo-Pacific and demonstrate to the world that democracy fosters the conditions needed to cultivate continued security and prosperity."

They also recognized that in recent years, Korea has "emerged as a global leader" at large because of the enduring commitment of its people to "increasing governmental transparency, ensuring effective checks and balances, and developing laws that are responsive to public needs."

The Biden administration has worked to unite democracies aligned with the United States, in contrast to the global trend toward the authoritarianism of autocracies like Russia and China.

The two-day Summit for Democracy, which runs through Thursday, brought together some 120 global leaders invited by Biden over a virtual conference.

Korea was among five co-hosting countries alongside Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Zambia and the United States.

Yoon led the first plenary session on "Democracy Delivering Economic Growth and Shared Prosperity" and highlighted Korea's role as a defender of democracy.

"The world is now facing various crises and challenges," Yoon said in his opening remarks at the session, noting that the "combination of geopolitical conflicts and competing interests has divided the international community and greatly reduced multilateral cooperation."

He noted, in particular, the challenges faced in democracy, which enabled "freedom and prosperity" in the past century, and said, "In addition to authoritarian forces that directly deny the rules-based international order, fake democracy represented by anti-intellectualism is on the rise all over the world."

He described the development process of Korea as having been a "constant journey toward freedom." He added that efforts to preserve freedom are still ongoing.

Recalling the Korean War, Yoon said that South Korea, which protected its freedom with the international community's help more than 70 years ago, "is now fulfilling its role and responsibility as a promoter of freedom in the international community."

He called to "embark on a new journey to revive retreating democracy through painstaking innovation and solidarity."

Yoon likewise focused on the importance of liberal democracy in guaranteeing individual freedom and noted that freedom, human rights and the rule of law are the "key to making democracy work."

"As the host of the next summit, Korea will fulfill its responsibility and role to further solidify democracies," Yoon said. "In close cooperation with the international community, we will strongly support and firmly defend democratic solidarity."

Speakers in the first session included the leaders of Greece, India, Timor-Leste, Italy, Kenya, Botswana, Israel and Croatia.

On the second day, Korea will also host an Indo-Pacific regional session under the theme "Challenges and Progress in Addressing Corruption."

It will focus on the themes of international cooperation for anticorruption, financial transparency and integrity, non-governmental stakeholders and technology.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, in Washington Tuesday, ahead of the second Summit for Democracy led by U.S. President Joe Biden and co-hosted by President Yoon Suk Yeol and four other leaders set to take place over Wednesday and Thursday. [AP/YONHAP]

The Summit for Democracy was inaugurated by the Biden administration in December 2021 for the United States and like-minded allies to show the world that democracy is a better alternative to autocracy.

Yoon and Biden, in their Wednesday joint statement, said that the summit process has brought together leaders from governments, civil society and the private sector who are "committed to strengthening democratic governance, protecting human rights, and advancing the fight against corruption."

They noted that cooperation among "strong, resilient democracies is essential to tackling the world's greatest challenges," such as safeguarding shared security and prosperity, addressing the climate crisis, promoting global health and pandemic preparedness and ensuring that new and emerging technologies work for democratic societies, not against it.

"We are proud to continue our work together to ensure that the momentum built by the first two Summits for Democracy will continue into the future and reflect this effort's global leadership," the leaders added.

The two leaders will be joined in person next month when Yoon visits Washington for a summit with Biden as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance this year.

Yoon will be the first Korean president to visit since 2011 and become Biden's second state guest since he received French President Emmanuel Macron last December.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]